The Letter
by Dreamkeeper4
Summary: A young teacher's life is changed forever when she comes to the aid of Lorenzo Alcazar.


**Note: This work is written in letter-format. It is based on the characters from General  
Hospital (whom I don't own and unfortunately have no control over). The letter is  
from an original character to you, the reader. The story takes place shortly after  
September 5, 2003.  
  
This is my first published work of fanfiction. Please review and respond. If you say good stuff, bless you. If not, please be constructive because if you aren't, I won't listen to you anyway.  
  
The Letter  
By: Dreamkeeper  
  
I have had an extremely busy week. There have been so many strange developments in my life and in the lives of those around me. Let me start with some peripheral news and work my way towards my current situation.  
  
Emily's health took a dramatic decline over the last few weeks. She caught a virus that led to meningitis. She's slowly recovering from her illness. Emily's sickness has been so hard on everyone. Xander has been right by her side most of the time.  
  
Jason hasn't been with her much. I think that his work has really been a burden for him. He struggled to bring Carly home and, then, to rescue Courtney and find that she had a miscarriage - it was all so much for him to handle. So, he pushed Emily's illness aside to focus on his 'new' family.  
  
Monica has been trying to keep herself occupied with the medical aspect of the situation so that she wouldn't become emotionally overwhelmed.  
Lucky and Liz have been extremely supportive. As a matter of fact, they have been great help to me. I can barely tear myself away from Emily's side. They take care of me when my body becomes weaker than my will to stay with my ailing best friend.  
  
Nikolas is having a very difficult time handling Emily's relapse. I think that not being able to be at her side like Xander is has really shaken him. I sometimes see him looking through Emily's window, longing to tell her how much her loves her. When he visited, I was tempted to tell him about Emily's feelings for him but decided against it. I know that he will do what it takes to win Emily's whole heart and I can't lay out the path before him. He has to do things his own way.  
  
Emily doesn't talk much. One night, however, I heard her talking in her sleep. I assumed it was Xander she was talking to in her dreams until I heard her whisper Nikolas' name. I should have known the truth. I see the spark ignite in her eyes when Nikolas comes into the room. When she awoke, I confessed that I overheard her dream and she finally admitted that her feelings for Nikolas were too strong to brush away. They overtook her in her dreams. She also confided in me that she feels that Nikolas is in danger and that being with her only puts him at greater risk. She doesn't know where those thoughts are coming from, but we've all learned that Emily's intuition often proves accurate. She asked me to keep him safe and to be her eyes and ears while she is sick. I told her I would do what I can but didn't really think there was anything I could do to help Nikolas. I was wrong, however, for on that very day, the opportunity presented itself and I acted not knowing I was entering the world of Lorenzo Alcazar.  
  
I received a phone call a few days ago during school from  
Laticia Fernandez, Carly Corinthos' nanny, asking me if I could drop  
off some school work for Michael since he wanted to stay home with his  
mommy rather than attend class that day. I felt so sorry for the  
child. His family has been through so much lately that, though the  
request was unconventional, I couldn't say "no." So, after school, I  
went by to bring Michael his work. I tried to show Laticia what was  
required of Michael but quickly discovered that it would be easier to  
tell the boy myself. I was led into the apartment and Michael and I  
went up to his room to work. When we got there, he realized that there  
weren't any pencils in his room, so I went downstairs to find one.  
  
As I was going down the stairs, I overheard Sonny and Jason  
talking in the living room. I didn't want to eavesdrop, so I started  
to go back to Michael's room. As I turned to go, I overheard the name  
"Cassadine" and suddenly, I couldn't leave. As I stood there, I  
discovered the information that would change my life forever.  
  
Sonny has discovered that the creditor that the Cassadines are  
so deeply indebted to is none other than Lorenzo Alcazar. Jason has  
come up with a plan to trap Alcazar, causing him to reveal his  
connection to the Cassadines and, therefore, losing his shot at their  
money. Jason feels that trapping Alcazar is the only way to keep  
Nikolas safe and keep Emily from another heartbreak. Sonny Corinthos  
isn't concerned about Nikolas; he wants Alcazar dead.  
  
This news was very disturbing for me. I have always been the  
unassuming, quiet member of this community. Most people know me as "so-  
and-so's teacher" or "Emily's friend." I have tried to stay out of  
other people's business and they have stayed out of mine. That changed  
the very moment I heard Sonny's plan for Alcazar, hidden behind the  
false pretense of "keeping Nikolas safe." I made a promise to Emily  
that I would try to help Nikolas in any way that I could. Even so, I  
just couldn't let Alcazar be murdered. It wasn't right.  
  
I have always believed in showing every person kindness and  
friendliness, regardless of their status in life. When I come in  
contact with someone such as Scott Baldwin or Faith Rosco, I try to  
forget all the evil things they have done and remember that, as human  
beings, they deserve a smile just like everyone else. Most of the  
time, people such as this snub me or repay my kindness with rudeness.  
There is one man, however, who has never failed to treat me with the  
utmost respect and courtesy. He have given much aid to our school and  
even donated new computers to my classroom after I helped him find a  
lost set of keys in the park one day. He has tenderness in his eyes  
that I believe most people don't see or don't take the time to look  
for. This man is Lorenzo Alcazar.  
  
How could I live with myself knowing that someone was going to  
have him killed? How could I stand before children and teach them  
about right and wrong when I suppressed knowledge that may save  
someone's life? I knew that I had to do something to stop this  
horrible event from coming to pass. I had to act and soon.  
  
I listened to Sonny and Jason as they laid out their plans for  
Alcazar's demise. They had planned a meeting with all of Alcazar's  
enemies, disguising it as a benefit to raise funds for various  
charities. This meeting was to take place at Carly's club. Since the  
meeting was really a front, only a select few were invited: Sonny,  
Carly, Jason, Courtney, Scott, Stefan and Alexis.  
  
I suppose things were going as planned until the night took a  
turn that the "conspirators" did not expect. I walked into the club. I  
acted as if I belonged there, chatting with Carly about Michael's  
schoolwork and inquiring about Christina from Alexis. I tried to act  
cool and calm and pretended not to notice the confused look on each  
guest's face. My thoughts raced as I tried to think of what to say and  
do until the guest of honor arrived. I thoroughly thanked Sonny for  
hosting this benefit in honor of the school and he coolly accepted my  
thanks without a trace of nervousness. I had begun to run out of  
things to say and my eyes began searching for the door, knowing that  
if things took a bad turn, I would need to leave in a hurry. At that  
very moment, he arrived.  
  
Alcazar waltzed into the door with a serene but smug expression  
on his face. Courtney, being the hothead that she is, immediately  
began to berate him. She attacked him, letting him know that he wasn't  
welcome. Jason quickly came to her aid and proceeded to ask Lorenzo to  
leave. I knew I had to act. I glided over to the quickly growing scene  
and profusely thanked Lorenzo for coming to the benefit. I then  
explained how much he had helped the school and that his aid was  
greatly appreciated. In other words, he was welcome - by me.  
  
The expression on their faces was priceless. If I weren't so  
nervous, I would have laughed out loud. They didn't know what to do.  
They could have forced Alcazar to leave, but what were they supposed  
to do with me? Throw a teacher out on the street? Sonny did the only  
thing there was left to do. He welcomed everyone to the benefit and  
gave a moving speech about education and he importance of the local  
school system and its teachers. It was truly comical to watch each of  
these totally self-absorbed people try to act interested in this  
impromptu speech.  
  
After the speech, Sonny had drinks served to everyone. I knew  
once I saw he and Jason sidled off into a corner that the time for me  
to act was at hand. I graciously thanked the host, said my good-byes,  
and took my leave. After waiting outside the door for a few minutes, I  
reentered with the sad story that my car would not start and that I  
would be late visiting Emily. I tried to look as convincing as  
possible when I tearfully explained that she would be worried if I did  
not come when I was expected.  
  
In an effort to show that he wasn't heartless, Alcazar  
generously allowed me to borrow his cell phone to call for a ride and  
to tell Emily that I would be late. I walked into calling area of the  
club, which is partitioned off from the rest, to make my calls. This  
was the perfect opportunity to warn Alcazar what was planned for him.  
  
I punched buttons on the phone for several minutes before  
asking for assistance. I motioned for Lorenzo to come into the calling  
area to help me and he obliged. My goal was to give him the  
information regarding Sonny's plans. In exchange, he had to give me a  
promise not to harm Nikolas. Things didn't turn out exactly as I  
expected.  
  
We entered the calling area and Lorenzo sat down on the arm of  
a chair to work on his phone. I put the phone to his ear and leaned in  
very close, pretending to listen for a signal. Then, I took a deep  
breath and told him what was really on my mind.  
  
"Please, don't move. I have something very important that I  
need to tell you," I whispered.  
  
He cocked his head to one side and looked into my face. I  
suppose he has a very intuitive nature because he shook the phone,  
then put it back to our ears, playing along with my game.  
  
"Sonny and Jason have discovered some documents that prove that  
YOU are the one that Stefan owes money to," I continued. "Sonny is  
trying to find a way to cause the Cassadines to default on their loan,  
so that you will lose the money. He feels that once you realize the  
money is gone, you will slip up. Then, he will have the opportunity he  
has been waiting for to kill you. All the people here tonight are in  
on it. They are all set to play a part."  
  
As I was speaking, I noticed that Alcazar's hand had gone from  
the arm of the chair to the small of my back. He realized I was having  
trouble balancing as I was pretending to listen as I now held the  
phone to his ear. The sensation of his warm breath on my neck and the  
scent of his cologne were making my knees weaker with each word that I  
spoke. I tried to concentrate on what I needed to say, but it was so  
hard to focus when I could feel his hand pulling me closer and closer  
to him with each passing second.  
  
He removed the phone from my hand and placed it in his pocket  
with his free hand. We both realized that no one was interested in the  
drug lord and the teacher and that no one was spying on us. That was  
fortunate for us because our ruse couldn't have been very convincing;  
he continued to hold me even when the phone was put away.  
  
"What is your part in all this, Miss Bloom?" he asked, turning  
slightly to look into my eyes.  
  
"I overheard the conversation by mistake. I was afraid to say  
anything but more afraid to stand by and allow it to happen. I  
couldn't just let them kill you."  
  
"So, it was you who sent the invitation to my apartment? Why  
would you risk yourself and do something like stupid like that?"  
  
At that remark, I pulled away, insulted and angered by his  
ungratefulness.  
  
"How dare you insult me when I have put myself on the line to  
save your life, you ungrateful." He interrupted my tirade by restating  
his question, this time more forcefully.  
  
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?" he demanded.  
  
"I don't know! I mean, I've heard that you've been a part of  
some terrible things, but so have they. I just don't feel that they  
have the right to pass that kind of judgment on anyone. It's not right  
and I.I."  
  
As I stood there in the dimly lit room, it was as if I'd  
stepped into some old movie. Nothing made sense. The world that I was  
accustomed to - the world of school board meetings and class plays,  
field trips and little league games - had vanished. I was standing in  
a room arguing with a drug lord about a plot formulated by a mobster  
that would result in his murder. How had my life come to this?  
  
"So, you did this out of the goodness of your heart, is that  
it? Nothing's in it for you?" he asked, pointedly.  
  
I turned and looked into his face. My mind began racing,  
searching for the reason I had come to this place, the reason why I  
was putting myself through this drama. I couldn't think. All I could  
see was dark pools boring into my soul as his eyes searched mine for  
an answer.  
  
"Nikolas," I managed to say. "Promise me you won't harm Nikolas.  
If you must act against the Cassadines, please, deal with Stefan but  
leave Nikolas alone."  
  
"You are in love with Nikolas?" There was a hint of  
disappointment in his voice.  
  
"Of course not. But Emily is. She is my best friend and may be  
dying and I have to do all that I can to lessen her worry," I said,  
turning away, trying to hide the true reason for warning him, but I  
couldn't suppress the truth any longer. "I don't want you to die.  
Knowing that you're okay makes me happy. That first day when we met in  
front of Kelly's, the day that AJ knocked me down and kept walking,  
you picked me up and dusted me off. The smile on your face showed more  
of the man you really are than any rumors or gossip ever could. I've  
thought of you, worried about you ever since that day. I like the  
possibility that I may bump into you on the street or hear your voice  
in a restaurant. Seeing you makes me smile. I want you around. Who  
knows? Maybe my motives aren't as pure as I thought. Maybe I am being  
selfish. Anyway, what I feel is not important."  
  
The look on Alcazar's face softened into something I hadn't  
seen before. He slowly strode over to me and looked down into my face.  
  
"I don't believe it for a second. You don't have a selfish bone  
in your body. You actually did do this out of the goodness of your  
heart. But if you're trying to say that you may care for me, I'm not  
going to brush that away as an unimportant matter. As far as I'm  
concerned, it's very important."  
  
For a brief moment, time stood still. Everything going on in  
the other room, the plotting, the manipulating, it all vanished. The  
only people left in the world were Lorenzo and I. He stood there,  
towering over me so close that his breath brushed my hair, his warmth  
penetrated my body. My breathing began to quicken. I tried to smile  
and walk away nonchalantly, but my legs would not move. I willed  
myself to put distance between us, to break the spell he was casting  
over me but to no avail. He had me.  
  
He leaned in until his mouth was merely millimeters away from  
my ear as he whispered, "You are very important to me."  
  
My resistance crumbled. I could not fight anymore and did not  
want to. His arms encircled my waist as he pulled my body to his.  
Then, he kissed me. It was not the rough, selfish kiss of a hardened  
criminal or the soft, feathery kiss of a boy struck with puppy love,  
but a real kiss. The kiss of a strong man holding a soft woman he  
simply could not get enough of. His kiss was like nothing I have ever  
felt before. I played "kiss-tag" with Lucky when we were kids in  
school. I even received a kiss from Ric once when he mistook me for  
Elizabeth. Even so, there are no words to explain the electricity that  
shot through my body the moment our lips touched. The heavenly  
sensation of his lips on mine, his arms wrapped around me, his body  
reacting to feel of my own - it was indescribable. At that moment,  
nothing mattered. Even if all of Port Charles walked in on us, I  
couldn't have cared less. I was living in a moment I wanted to last  
forever.  
  
It did not last. An entire eternity flew by in a few heated  
seconds. He looked into my eyes as our lips parted and then mouthed  
these instructions to me: "Stay here for a few minutes. Then, come out  
and give me the phone."  
  
He slipped the cell out of his pocket and into my hand. He then  
kissed my hand gently and strolled back into the club area. I tried to  
follow but realized that my knees were wobbly and my head was still  
swimming. I had to take a few minutes to collect myself whether I  
wanted to or not. After a couple of minutes and some deep breathing, I  
put on a smile and walked back to the group of would-be murderers.  
  
I told them that I had found a ride and that I would be on my  
way. I thanked everyone again for the generosity shown toward the  
school and took my leave. As I was gathering my coat, I gave Alcazar  
back his phone being sure to openly thank him for his thoughtfulness.  
As he helped me into my coat, he whispered a parting message in my  
ear.  
  
"I don't want you to worry about Nikolas Cassadine. You have my  
word that my people will inflict no harm upon him. Also, be careful  
but don't be afraid. I swear I won't let anything happen to you. I'll  
protect you just like you did for me tonight because, you see, I want  
you around, too."  
  
And that was that. He was gone and I am left with the knowledge  
that I have somehow unwittingly entered the underworld of Port  
Charles. I am a part of this city's dark games and I am on Lorenzo  
Alcazar's team. More specifically, I am at his side. Strangely enough,  
after last night, I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be.  
  
Love, Tracy 


End file.
